The First Black Battleship

The First Black Battleship. . , HMS Warrior was built by The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company at Blackwall in London. , Throughout 1859 and 1860 thousands of workers were employed on the hull every day. As delays to the ship increased a 24-hour work pattern was introduced - workers swarmed night and day over the wooden scaffolding that cocooned the hull. The noise was described as ear-splitting. , As Warrior's sleek profile rose slowly from the dock crowds gathered - fascinated by the progress. Newspapers and magazines reported with great enthusiasm on every development. A favourite topic was the cost which escalated to almost £400,000, twice that of a standard wooden ship-of-the-line. , Only 4 months after La Gloire was commissioned, Warrior was ready for launching and to make the Royal Navy the envy of the world. , “I often wondered how I mustered sufficient courage to undertake its construction”, Mr Peter Rolt, Chairman, Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Company , Did you know?.. The factory football team, Thames Ironworks FC, was founded in 1895 - five years later reformed as West Ham United FC "The Hammers" , HMS Warrior was launched on Saturday 29th December 1860, during the coldest winter for 50 years. Sizeable crowds had gathered to watch Sir John Pakington perform the launch ceremony but the ship refused to move. Snow covered the dockyard and grease on the slipways had frozen despite burning braziers being placed alongside the night before. It took the combined effort of six tugs to ease her down the frozen slipway. , Slowly she began to move towards the water, “God speed the Warrior" shouted Sir John, and broke a bottle of wine on her bow. The spectators cheered, hats were thrown in the air, tugs blew their whistles and the stern took the water 'as gracefully as any yacht’. It was 3pm. Her Majesty's Ship Warrior was now afloat , the largest, fastest, best protected and most formidable warship in the world. She, and her sister ship, Black Prince, were to become the most feared ships afloat. , “All is well sir, but she may need a push to get moving. The slipway is frozen hard" , Captain John Ford MD speaking to Peter Rolt Chairman of the shipyard